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PubMed2006

Habitat requirements of the seabird tick, Ixodes uriae (Acari: Ixodidae), from the Antarctic Peninsula in relation to water balance characteristics of eggs, nonfed and engorged stages.

The seabird tick Ixodes uriae is exposed to extreme environmental conditions during the off-host phase of its life cycle on the Antarctic Peninsula. To investigate how this tick resists desiccation, water requirements of each developmental stage were determined. Features of I. uriae water balance include a high percentage body water content, low dehydration tolerance limit, and a high water loss rate, which are characteristics that classify this tick as hydrophilic. Like other ticks, I. uriae relies on water vapor uptake as an unfed larva and enhanced water retention in the adult, while nymphs are intermediate and exploit both strategies. Stages that do not absorb water vapor, eggs, fed larvae and fed nymphs, rely on water conservation. Other noteworthy features include heat sensitivity that promotes water loss in eggs and unfed larvae, an inability to drink free water from droplets, and behavioral regulation of water loss by formation of clusters. We conclude that I. uriae is adapted for life in a moisture-rich environment, and this requirement is met by clustering in moist, hydrating, microhabitats under rocks and debris that contain moisture levels that are higher than the tick's critical equilibrium activity.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Influence of saturation deficit and temperature on Ixodes ricinus tick questing activity in a Lyme borreliosis-endemic area (Switzerland).

Questing Ixodes ricinus ticks were sampled monthly in a periurban mixed forest at Neuchâtel, Switzerland, in 1996, 1997, and 1998. A total of 5,530 I. ricinus nymphs and 1,385 adults were collected. The emergence of questing tick populations in spring varied among years in relation to the air temperature. The monthly variation in questing nymph density was negatively correlated with the saturation deficit; there was a strong decrease in tick numbers in late spring and summer as soon as the saturation deficit increased. A variation in tick density in relation to the saturation deficit was also observed between years; the tick density was high when the saturation deficit was low during spring and summer (1997) and was low when the saturation deficit was high (1998). During the 3-year study period, marked climatic differences among years highlighted the influence of temperature and saturation deficit on the phenology of ticks.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Pathological effects and reduced survival in Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks infected with Theileria parva protozoa.

Pathological effects have been demonstrated in a number of arthropod species as a consequence of parasitic infection. This is usually manifest as reduced arthropod survival and/or fecundity. This paper describes the detrimental effects the protozoan parasite, Theileria parva has on Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks. R. appendiculatus ticks were dissected and sectioned at regular intervals during their nymph to adult moult after detaching from a T. parva infected calf, and assessed by light and electron microscopy. The reproductive capacity of the T. parva infected ticks was also compared with that of control, uninfected ticks. The number of T. parva forms seen during the ticks' moult were recorded and showed a substantial reduction as the moult progressed. A non-linear relationship between piroplasm ingestion by the engorged nymph and eventual adult salivary gland infection levels was shown. Tick gut and salivary gland pathology was noted at various stages throughout the moult and correlated with the parasite burdens in the affected organs at those timepoints. The reproductive performance of infected ticks was greatly impaired compared to controls. Infected female ticks had longer bloodmeal engorgement times, reduced bloodmeal volumes, smaller egg batch weights and greatly decreased egg hatching success. The pathological effects are discussed in relation to parasite population dynamics within the ticks and compared with similar examples of pathology evidenced with other parasite infected arthropod species.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Fine structure and distribution of antennal sensilla of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae).

The fine structure and distribution of various types of antennal sensilla in three nymphal stages and in adults of both solitary-reared (solitary) and crowd-reared (gregarious) phases of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, were investigated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Four types of sensilla were identified: sensilla basiconica, s. trichodea, s. coeloconica and s. chaetica. S. basiconica contain up to 50 sensory neurons, each of which displays massive dendritic branching. The sensillar wall is penetrated by a large number of pores. In contrast, s. trichodea contain one to three sensory neurons that branch to give five or six dendrites in the sensillar lumen; the sensillum wall is penetrated by relatively few pores. The s. coeloconica are situated in spherical cuticular pits on the antennal surface. The s. coeloconica are of two types: one type contains one to three sensory neurons with double sensillar walls penetrated by slit-like pores, whereas the second type contains four sensory neurons with non-porous double sensillar walls. The s. chaetica have a flexible socket and a thick non-porous sensillum wall and contain four sensory neurons that send unbranched dendrites to a terminal pore. A fifth sensory neuron of the s. chaetica terminates in a tubular body at the base of the hair. S. basiconica and coeloconica are normally distributed over the entire antennal flagellum, with a concentration in the middle segments; s. trichodea have three areas of concentration on the 5th, 10th and 14th flagellar segments. Sensilla chaetica are most abundant on the terminal segment. Locusts raised in solitary conditions have more olfactory sensilla (s. basiconica and s. coeloconica) than crowd-reared locusts. The difference in sensillar numbers is more evident in adults than in nymphs. These results suggest that differences in the odour-mediated behaviour of nymphs and adults, and between the phases of S. gregaria, may be attributable to differences at the sensory input level.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Growth and reproduction of the alpine grasshopper Miramella alpina feeding on CO2-enriched dwarf shrubs at treeline.

The consequences for plant-insect interactions of atmospheric changes in alpine ecosystems are not well understood. Here, we tested the effects of elevated CO(2) on leaf quality in two dwarf shrub species (Vaccinium myrtillus and V. uliginosum) and the response of the alpine grasshopper (Miramella alpina) feeding on these plants in a field experiment at the alpine treeline (2,180 m a.s.l.) in Davos, Switzerland. Relative growth rates (RGR) of M. alpina nymphs were lower when they were feeding on V. myrtillus compared to V. uliginosum, and were affected by elevated CO(2) depending on plant species and nymph developmental stage. Changes in RGR correlated with CO(2)-induced changes in leaf water, nitrogen, and starch concentrations. Elevated CO(2) resulted in reduced female adult weight irrespective of plant species, and prolonged development time on V. uliginosum only, but there were no significant differences in nymphal mortality. Newly molted adults of M. alpina produced lighter eggs and less secretion (serving as egg protection) under elevated CO(2). When grasshoppers had a choice among four different plant species grown either under ambient or elevated CO(2), V. myrtillus and V. uliginosum consumption increased under elevated CO(2) in females while it decreased in males compared to ambient CO(2)-grown leaves. Our findings suggest that rising atmospheric CO(2) distinctly affects leaf chemistry in two important dwarf shrub species at the alpine treeline, leading to changes in feeding behavior, growth, and reproduction of the most important insect herbivore in this system. Changes in plant-grasshopper interactions might have significant long-term impacts on herbivore pressure, community dynamics and ecosystem stability in the alpine treeline ecotone.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2003

Identification of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species, and spotted fever group Rickettsiae in ticks from Southeastern Europe.

Prevalence data for tick-borne pathogens are used to assess the risk for human health. In this study the presence and identity of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Rickettsia species in Bulgarian Ixodes ricinus ticks and in non- Ixodes ticks from Turkey and Albania was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse line blot hybridization. In the adult Bulgarian ticks, the prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection was approximately 40%, while Borrelia afzelii was the predominant species, representing more than half of all Borrelia-positive ticks. Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species were detected in 35% of the adult Ixodes ricinus ticks and in 10% of the nymphs. Sequence analysis of PCR products reacting with the Anaplasma phagocytophila probe revealed a 16S rRNA gene identical to that of the Anaplasma phagocytophila prototype strain. Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species were found in approximately 7% of the non- Ixodes ticks. Sequence analysis of some of these samples revealed the presence of Anaplasma ovis, Ehrlichia canis, and a species closely resembling Ehrlichia chaffeensis. About half of all adult ticks examined and approximately 20% of all nymphs were infected with Rickettsia species. In Ixodes ricinus ticks, Rickettsia helvetica and a Rickettsia species designated as IRS3 were found in high prevalence. Rickettsia conorii was found in virtually all non- Ixodes tick species from Albania and Turkey. The results of this study show that many tick-borne diseases are most probably endemic in the Balkan area. Furthermore, the results suggest that there is a considerable chance for simultaneous transmission of tick-borne pathogens to human beings.

Albania↗
PubMed2005

Therapeutic and persistent efficacy of a single injection treatment of ivermectin and moxidectin against Boophilus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) on infested cattle.

The effectiveness of a single treatment with either ivermectin or moxidectin was determined by administering a single subcutaneous injection of each endectocide at 200 microg per kg body weight to cattle infested with all parasitic developmental stages (adults, nymphs, and larvae) of Boophilus microplus (Canestrini). The percentage reduction in the number of females that reached repletion following treatment (outright kill) was 94.8 and 91.1% for ivermectin and moxidectin, respectively. In addition, the reproductive capacity of the females that did survive to repletion was reduced by > 99%, regardless of the endectocide. Based on these two factors, the therapeutic level of control obtained against ticks on the cattle at the time of treatment was 99.0 and 99.1% for ivermectin and moxidectin, respectively. Engorged females recovered from either group of treated cattle weighed approximately 3-times less than untreated females, and the egg masses produced by treated females weighed approximately 5-8-times less than egg masses produced by untreated females. Partitioning of data into three separate 7-d post-treatment intervals allowed for an estimation of the efficacy of each endectocide against each individual parasitic development stage (adult, nymph, and larva). Results indicated that both endectocides were > or =99.7% effective against ticks that were in either the adult or nymphal stage at the time of treatment. However, the level of control against ticks in the larval stage of development at treatment was significantly lower at 97.9 and 98.4% for ivermectin and moxidectin, respectively. Analysis of the persistent (residual) activity of the two endectocides indicated that neither material provided total protection against larval re-infestation for even 1-wk following treatment. Against larvae infested 1-4 wk following treatment, the level of control with moxidectin ranged from 92.4% (1 wk) to 19.5% (4 wk). These control levels were higher at each weekly interval than for ivermectin, which ranged from 82.4% (1 wk) to 0.0% (4 wk). The potential for the use of these injectable endectocide formulations in the US Boophilus Eradication Program is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

A note on Hyalomma nitidum, its distribution and its hosts.

The paper summarises the morphological characteristics, the known geographical distribution and hosts of Hyalomma nitidum, a tick which has never been properly characterised. H. nitidum was first described in Cameroon in 1919, long considered as a synonym of Hyalomma truncatum and recognised as a separate and valid species only since the early 1970s. H. nitidum occurs from Senegal to the Central African Republic in more humid conditions than H. truncatum, roughly to the south of the isohyet of 900 mm. Adults are parasitic on various wild and domestic ungulates, on which immatures have not been found. Nymphs, identified after moulting to adults, have been found on a hare, and tentatively identified larvae and nymphs of this species have also been collected on hare as well as on a zebra mouse. The tick has been found infected with the virus of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, so far no other disease associations are known.

Africa↗
PubMed2005

Drop off rhythm and survival periods of Amblyomma lepidum (Acari: Ixodidae) under field conditions.

In this study, engorged Amblyomma lepidum ticks were found to drop off in two peaks, one in the morning and one in the evening. Most larvae and females engorged during the morning hours between 06.00 h and 10.00 h with a peak around 08.00 h, whereas the majority of the nymphs dropped in the evening between 18.00 h and 24.00 h with the peak around 22.00 h. Although the effect of time on drop-off patterns of the ticks was statistically significant (p< or = 0.001), there were no significant seasonal influences. Survival of unfed stages of A. lepidum was also studied and was found to increase from larvae to adult ticks. The longest survival periods of 10, 11 and 14 weeks were recorded during the wet season for larvae, nymphs and adults, respectively. It is concluded that environmental conditions required for survival of A. lepidum are optimal only during the wet season and that during other seasons the tick depends primarily on prevailing micro-climatic conditions for its survival.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Repellency of MyggA Natural spray (para-menthane-3,8-diol) and RB86 (neem oil) against the tick Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) in the field in east-central Sweden.

In the field in south-central Sweden, we tested by randomised, standardised methodology the potential anti-tick repellent activity of two concentrations of MyggA Natural spray (containing PMD) (4.2 and 3.2 g/m2) and one of RB86 (with 70% neem oil containing azadirachtin) (3 g/m2) to host seeking nymphs of Ixodes ricinus. Each substance was applied separately to 1 m2 cotton flannel cloths. Nymphal ticks on the cloths, pulled over the vegetation, were recorded at 10-m stops. Nymphal numbers recorded differed significantly between treated cloths [4.2 or 3.2 g MyggA Natural spray/m2 and 3 g RB86/m2] and the untreated control (df = 3, chi2 = 112.74, P < 0.0001). Nymphal numbers also differed significantly among collectors (df = 3, chi2 = 15.80, P < 0.001). Repellency of treated cloths, i.e., 4.2 or 3.2 g MyggA Natural spray/m2 and 3 g RB 86/m2 declined from day 0 (i.e. the day of impregnation) to day 3 after impregnation from 77 to 24%, 58 to 16% and 47 to 0.5%, respectively. This study suggests that all three treatments have significant repellent activities against I. ricinus nymphs.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Attraction of the parasitoid Anagrus nilaparvatae to rice volatiles induced by the rice brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens.

Anagrus nilaparvatae, an egg parasitoid of the rice brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, was attracted to volatiles released from N. lugens-infested plants, whereas there was no attraction to volatiles from undamaged plants, artificially damaged plants, or volatiles from N. lugens nymphs, female adults, eggs, honeydew, and exuvia. There was no difference in attractiveness between plants infested by N. lugens nymphs or those infested by gravid females. Attraction was correlated with time after infestation and host density; attraction was only evident between 6 and 24 hr after infestation by 10 adult females per plant, but not before or after. Similarly, after 24 hr of infestation, wasps were attracted to plants with 10 to 20 female planthoppers, but not to plants with lower or higher numbers of female planthoppers. The attractive time periods and densities may be correlated with the survival chances of the wasps' offspring, which do not survive if the plants die before the wasps emerge. Wasps were also attracted to undamaged mature leaves of a rice plant when one of the other mature leaves had been infested by 10 N. lugens for 1 d, implying that the volatile cues involved in host location by the parasitoid are systemically released. Collection and analyses of volatiles revealed that 1 d of N. lugens infestation did not result in the emission of new compounds or an increase in the total amount of volatiles, but rather the proportions among the compounds in the blend were altered. The total amounts and proportions of the chemicals were also affected by infestation duration. These changes in volatile profiles might provide the wasps with specific information on host habitat quality and thus could explain the observed behavioral responses of the parasitoid.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Sublethal effects of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes) on the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) under laboratory conditions.

Sublethal effects were evaluated in subsequent generations of whiteflies Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) arising from parental generations exposed in the four nymphal stages to the fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin. Examples of such effects include impaired fertility, production of malformations or external variations, and reduced survival of later generations. Malformations of the head, legs, wings or abdomen were not observed in adults derived from treated nymphs, nor were negative effects observed in the fecundity and fertility of the descendants of the whiteflies treated with the fungus. However, moulting problems were observed in insects descended from B. bassiana-treated whiteflies. This is the first time that such effects have been reported, with almost 30% of imagos resulting from treated nymphs unable to detach completely from the exuvia. A gradual reduction in mortality rates between subsequent generations was observed. The importance of these results is discussed in the light of findings from other studies into the effects of entomopathogenic fungi on pest insects.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Feeding and mating deterrency by sulfhydryl reagents in Triatoma infestans.

Topical application of different sulfhydryl (SH) reagents in acetone solution resulted in a deterrence of the feeding activity of Triatoma infestans nymph V. The ED50 for topical application of N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), the more active compound assayed, was 8.9 micrograms/insect. This effect showed a dose-dependent reversibility. We also observed feeding deterrency when a gauze cloth impregnated with NEM was located between the food source and the nymphs. After topical NEM treatment, mating deterrency was assessed by counting spermatophores dropped and eggs laid. When a population of adult insects, nymphal stages and eggs was reared in a cage containing filter papers treated with 0.4 mg/cm2 of NEM, a significant decrease of population density was seen after 200 days of exposure. Weekly replacement of filter papers impregnated with 0.13 mg/cm2 NEM for a period of one year enabled population control to be maintained. Antifeeding and antimating effects of NEM in Triatoma infestans and the resulting population control could be attributed to a chemoreceptor blockage produced by SH reagents.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Density regulation of domestic populations of Triatoma infestans in Brazil.

Twenty old houses in a rural area of central Brazil were sampled monthly for Triatoma infestans during 16 months. The samples indicated peak adult emergence between January and May, preceded by peak emergence of stage V, IV and III nymphs respectively. Stage I and II nymphs were rarely taken in the samples. A much smaller peak of adult emergence occurred in September; thus the two peaks of adult emergence during the year were consistent with the approximately six months duration of egg-to-adult development usually recorded in laboratory studies. During January, 1977, when the study began, all houses were searched for dead bugs, exuviae, eggs and eggshells. These samples were used to calculate stage mortalities, from which a simple life-table was constructed. These data were combined with laboratory data concerning stage development times and female longevity and fecundity. Sensitivity analysis of the life-table showed it to be most sensitive to small changes in daily mortality rate and total egg-to-adult development time. The data were used to advance an hypothesis that the size of domestic populations of T. infestans is mainly controlled by changes in the egg-to-adult development time and, to a lesser extent, by changes in female reproductivity. Both these factors are in turn controlled by the nutritional status of the bug population, which, if the supply of food, i.e. number of hosts, is constant, is dependent upon the density of the bug population. It is argued that this mechanism of density regulation functions within limits set by the prevailing ambient temperature.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Difference in vector competence of two species of sympatric ticks, Amblyomma variegatum and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, for Dugbe virus (Nairovirus, Bunyaviridae).

Amblyomma variegatum was shown to be a competent vector of Dugbe (DUG) virus whereas Rhipicephalus appendiculatus was not. When DUG virus was taken up orally by A. variegatum nymphs, during capillary feeding, the virus replicated and persisted through moulting to the following adult stage. In contrast, although DUG virus replicated in capillary fed R. appendiculatus nymphs, the virus did not persist trans-stadially into the adult stage. If the oral route of infection was by-passed by direct inoculation into the haemocoel, DUG virus replicated and survived trans-stadially in both tick species, and was subsequently transmitted during feeding. The different responses of R. appendiculatus to oral and intra-coelomic routes suggest that DUG virus is able to infect the gut of this tick species, but that release of the virus from the gut is inhibited.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Effect of SO2 on the reproduction of pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum, and the impact of SO2 and aphids on the growth and yield of peas.

Pea aphids feeding from birth to maturity on pea plants (Pisum sativum) exposed to SO(2) concentrations of 50 nl litre(-1) or 80 nl litre(-1) showed a significant 19% increase in the rate of nymph production during the reproductive period, compared to control aphids feeding on plants in charcoal-filtered air. The higher nymph production resulted in a mean 4.6% increase in the intrinsic rate of population increase (rm). In longer term glasshouse fumigation experiments pea aphid populations were, on average, 1.8 times greater on pea plants in ambient air plus 45 nl litre(-1) SO(2) than in ambient air alone. Aphid infestation in ambient air caused a 42% reduction in pea yield and affected most plant parameters adversely. Ambient air plus SO(2) had no direct effect on yield, but, in combination with aphid infestation, a further 10% reduction in yield was recorded.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

The response of spruce shoot aphid Cinara pilicornis hartig to ambient and filtered air at two elevations and pollution climates.

The effects of ambient air compared to filtered air on the reproduction of females and mean relative growth rate (MRGR) of nymphs of C. pilicornis on Norway spruce was determined in open-top chambers at Wengernalp in the Swiss Alps (1900 m a.s.l.) and at Schönenbuch near the city of Basle (400 m a.s.l.). The ambient concentration of O(3), the main pollutant at both sites, varied between 45 and 120 microg m(-3) (24-h mean) at both sites. A 5-8 day exposure of spruce saplings to ambient compared to filtered air enhanced the MRGR of nymphs of C. pilicornis of local and northern origins at Schönenbuch. The cumulative numbers of offspring of C. pilicornis were higher in ambient air chambers than in filtered air chambers at Schönenbuch, but not at Wengernalp. Filtration of ambient air did not affect significantly the levels of total free amino acids or reducing sugars in phloem sap or concentration of total phenolics in needles at the end of the growing season. The results suggest that ambient air with elevated O(3) and with high daily fluctuations, as it can be observed in Schönenbuch, affects aphid performance on conifers more than ambient air with also elevated, but rather constant levels of O(3), as it can be observed in mountain forest areas.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1984

Development of Hyalomma lusitanicum under laboratory conditions.

At the constant temperature of 25 degrees C and relative humidity (RH) of 84%, the average pre-oviposition period of Hyalomma lusitanicum was 47 days, the oviposition lasted an average of 26 days and the total egg production was an average of 6320 per female. At 16 degrees C the females did not lay eggs at all, but those which survived for 1 year and were transferred thereafter to 25 degrees C and 84% RH laid viable eggs. At 35 degrees C, the oviposition was identical at all levels of RH tested (25, 62 and 93%). At 25 degrees C, the pre-oviposition period was shorter at 93% RH, and the number of eggs laid was fewer at 25% RH. The eggs hatched in 32-40 days, the hatching percentage being lower in batches of eggs laid at the beginning and at the end of the oviposition period. The larval and nymphal moultings were not influenced by the type of host. As the temperature increased, the pre-moult period became shorter. The engorged larvae were more sensitive to the low RH than the engorged nymphs, whose moulting percentage was always greater than 72 in all regimes. Low temperature and high humidity had a favourable effect on the survival of unfed nymphs. The female-to-male ratio was 1:2. Hyalomma lusitanicum always behaved as a 3-host tick. The adults did not engorge on rabbits. The female ticks engorged on calves weighed an average 543 mg. Ticks maintained at 25 degrees C and 84% RH and engorged on calves completed the life cycle in 138-196 days, which does not include the period of chitinization of about 30 days. More than half of this period was spent in egg laying and hatching.

Animals↗